Midnight Riot: Peter Grant, Book 1

Probationary constable Peter Grant dreams of being a detective in London's Metropolitan Police. Too bad his superior plans to assign him to the Case Progression Unit, where the biggest threat he'll face is a paper cut. But Peter's prospects change in the aftermath of a puzzling murder, when he gains exclusive information from an eyewitness who happens to be a ghost. Peter's ability to speak with the lingering dead brings him to the attention of Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale....

London Falling: The Shadow Police, Book One

Detective Inspector James Quill is about to complete the drugs bust of his career. Then his prize suspect, Rob Toshack, is murdered in custody. Furious, Quill pursues the investigation, co-opting intelligence analyst Lisa Ross and undercover cops Costain and Sefton. But nothing about Toshack’s murder is normal. Toshack had struck a bargain with a vindictive entity, whose occult powers kept Toshack one step ahead of the law - until his luck ran out. Now, the team must find a 'suspect' who can bend space and time and alter memory itself. And they will kill again.

Fated: Alex Verus Series, Book 1

Alex Verus is part of a world hidden in plain sight, running a magic shop in London. And while Alex's own powers aren't as showy as some mages, he does have the advantage of foreseeing the possible future-allowing him to pull off operations that have a million-to-one-chance of success. But when Alex is approached by multiple factions to crack open a relic from a long-ago mage war, he knows that whatever's inside must be beyond powerful.

The Severed Streets: The Shadow Police, Book Two

Summer in London: a city in turmoil. The vicious murder of a well-known MP is like a match to tinder but Detective Inspector James Quill and his team know that it's not a run-of-the-mill homicide. Still coming to terms with their new-found second sight, they soon discover that what is invisible to others - the killer - is visible to them. Even if they have no idea who it is. Then there are more deaths.

Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?: The Shadow Police, Book Three

The ghost of Sherlock Holmes is dead, but who will solve his murder? The Great Detective's ghost has walked London's streets for an age, given shape by people's memories. Now someone's put a ceremonial dagger through his chest. But what's the motive? And who - or what - could kill a ghost? When policing London's supernatural underworld, eliminating the impossible is not an option. DI James Quill and his detectives have learnt this the hard way.

Stiletto: A Novel

When secret organizations are forced to merge after years of enmity and bloodshed, only one person has the fearsome powers - and the bureaucratic finesse - to get the job done. Facing her greatest challenge yet, Rook Myfanwy Thomas must broker a deal between two bitter adversaries: the Checquy - the centuries-old covert British organization that protects society from supernatural threats, and the Grafters - a centuries-old supernatural threat.

Curse on the Land: Soulwood, Book 2

Before Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she had no one to rely on, finding strength only in her arcane connection to the dark woods around her. But now she has friends in the newly formed PsyLED team to keep her grounded - even if being part of the agency responsible for policing paranormals comes with dangers of its own.

Magic Binds: Kate Daniels, Book 9

Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-Shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she's faced could have prepared her for this.... Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar.... Kate's father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power.

Dark Magic: Harbinger P.I., Book 3

Zombies on Main Street. Not my finest moment. The police aren't exactly thrilled with me, but when a cold case heats up and starts to stink of the supernatural, suddenly the sheriff is in my office offering me a job. When the case hits boiling point, I'm dealing with monsters, black magic, and ritual killings. I even have to call on the two craziest witches in town for help. Things must be bad if the Blackwell sisters are my only hope for survival. Maybe I've bitten off more than I can chew.

The Rook: A Novel

Myfanwy Thomas awakes in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, her only hope of survival is to trust the instructions left in her pocket by her former self. She quickly learns that she is a Rook, a high-level operative in a secret agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. But there is a mole inside the organization - and this person wants her dead.

Once Broken Faith: October Daye, Book 10

Politics have never been October "Toby" Daye's strong suit. When she traveled to the Kingdom of Silences to prevent them from going to war with her home, the Kingdom of the Mists, she wasn't expecting to return with a cure for elf-shot and a whole new set of political headaches. Now the events she unwittingly set in motion could change the balance of modern Faerie forever, and she has been ordered to appear before a historic convocation of monarchs. Naturally, things have barely gotten underway when the first dead body shows up.

Demon Moon: Prof Croft, Book 1

Show me an amateur conjurer, and I'll stop him before he gets himself killed. That's the idea, anyway. But New York City isn't what it used to be, and I don't mean the recent crash. Amateur casters are calling up creatures they shouldn't be able to. And there's been a murder at the city's most hallowed cathedral, a message in blood on the victim's back the NYPD wants me to interpret, like yesterday.

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Grunge

When marine private Oliver Chadwick Gardenier is killed in the marine barrack bombing in Beirut, somebody who might be Saint Peter gives him a choice: Go to heaven, which, while nice, might be a little boring, or return to earth. The Boss has a mission for him, and he's to look for a sign. He's a marine: He'll choose the mission. Unfortunately, the sign he's to look for is "57". Which, given the food services contract in Bethesda Hospital, creates some difficulty. Eventually it appears that God's will is for Chad to join a group called Monster Hunters International.

The Atrocity Archives: A Laundry Files Novel

Bob Howard is a computer-hacker desk jockey, who has more than enough trouble keeping up with the endless paperwork he has to do on a daily basis. He should never be called on to do anything remotely heroic. But for some reason, he is.

Monster Hunter Memoirs: Sinners

With New Orleans out of control, Chad Oliver Gardenier, one of Monster Hunter International's premier hunters, has been dispatched from Seattle to reinforce the beleaguered members of MHI'S Hoodoo Squad in their fight against the darkness.

Stone and a Hard Place: The Alastair Stone Chronicles, Book 1

It's hard enough for Alastair Stone to keep his two lives - powerful mage and mundane Occult Studies professor - separate without an old friend asking him to take on a new apprentice. Especially after a university colleague wants him to investigate a massive old house for things that go bump in the night. Still, Stone figures it's an easy job: just turn up, put on a little show, and announce that the house is clean. Only it isn't. A malevolent spirit is reawakening in the basement.

The Purloined Poodle

Thanks to his relationship with the ancient Druid Atticus O'Sullivan, Oberon the Irish wolfhound knows trouble when he smells it - and furthermore, he knows he can handle it. When he discovers that a prizewinning poodle has been abducted in Eugene, Oregon, he learns that it's part of a rash of hound abductions all over the Pacific Northwest. Since the police aren't too worried about dogs they assume have run away, Oberon knows it's up to him to track down those hounds and reunite them with their humans. For justice! And gravy!

Lost Soul: Harbinger P.I., Book 1

I'm the guy you come to when your spouse gets bitten by a werewolf, or your honey is kidnapped by a demon. I'm the guy who knows how to save you from an evil curse or angry vampire. At least, I was that guy until the Society of Shadows sent me to Dearmont, Maine, a sleepy town that had a zero rating on the supernatural occurrences scale. But when a woman hires me to find out if her son has been possessed by a demon at a rich kids' party, Dearmont goes from zero to hero.

Buried Memory: Harbinger P.I., Book 2

Whoever said that nothing ever happens in a small town clearly never visited Dearmont, Maine. It's getting hotter than hell around here. When the dead start crawling out of their graves, you know something's up. If there's one thing I hate more than zombies, it's having my memories erased by magic. That's a real bummer, right? So when I get a chance to break the spell that's locked away part of my mind, I take it, even if it means dabbling with ancient Egyptian sorcery. Big mistake.

Blood of the Earth: Soulwood, Book 1

When Nell Ingram met skinwalker Jane Yellowrock, she was almost alone in the world, exiled by both choice and fear from the cult she was raised in, defending herself with the magic she drew from her deep connection to the forest that surrounds her. Now, Jane has referred Nell to PsyLED, a Homeland Security agency policing paranormals, and agent Rick LaFleur has shown up at Nell's doorstep.

Closer to the Chest: The Herald Spy, Book Three

Herald Mags, the King of Valdemar's Herald-Spy, has been developing a clandestine network of young informants who operate not only on the streets of the capital city of Haven but also in the Great Halls and kitchens of the wealthy and highborn. In his own established alternate personas, Mags observes the Court and the alleys alike, quietly gathering information to keep Haven and the Kingdom safe.

We Are Legion (We Are Bob): Bobiverse, Book 1

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street. Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets.

The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant

Timid, socially awkward, and plagued by self-esteem issues, Fred has never been the adventurous sort. One fateful night - different from the night he died, which was more inconvenient than fateful - Fred reconnects with an old friend at his high school reunion. This rekindled relationship sets off a chain of events thrusting him right into the chaos of the parahuman world.

In Shining Armor: Pax Arcana Series, Book 4

When someone kidnaps the last surviving descendant of the Grandmaster of the Knights Templar, it's bad news. When the baby is the key to the tenuous alliance between a large werewolf pack and the knights, it's even worse news. They're at each other's throats before they've even begun to look for baby Constance. But whoever kidnapped Constance didn't count on one thing: She's also the goddaughter of John Charming, modern-day descendant of a long line of famous dragon slayers, witch finders, and wrong righters.

Publisher's Summary

It begins with a dead body at the far end of Baker Street tube station, all that remains of American exchange student James Gallagher - and the victim's wealthy, politically powerful family is understandably eager to get to the bottom of the gruesome murder. The trouble is, the bottom - if it exists at all - is deeper and more unnatural than anyone suspects...except, that is, for London constable and sorcerer's apprentice Peter Grant. With Inspector Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, tied up in the hunt for the rogue magician known as "the Faceless Man", it's up to Peter to plumb the haunted depths of the oldest, largest, and - as of now - deadliest subway system in the world.

At least he won't be alone. No, the FBI has sent over a crack agent to help. She's young, ambitious, beautiful...and a born-again Christian apt to view any magic as the work of the devil. Oh yeah - that's going to go well.

The fabulous Lesley May in spite of her terrible tribulations has returned and I was glad to have her back. The spontaneity of Peter's character really works better with a more thoughtful type character like Lesley as counterweight. There are plots and subplots working in Whispers that had me a bit confused at times - there's a Taiwanese woman introduced briefly that had no connection to anything going on and a few other rabbit trails that the author may intend to pick up later but kind of muddled things for now. But it got sorted out fairly well by the end, the magical system seems to be coming together better with this third book, and the resolution to the murder of James Gallagher was quite good.

The sex scenes and rather icky fiend attacking men's groins that I disliked in Book 2 are gone.and we get our first American character. I was a bit concerned initially that Special Agent Kimberly Reynolds was going to be one of those "ugly Americans" that often turn up in the novels of European authors, but was happily surprised that she was not and her character added some interesting nuance to several scenes.

Aaronovitch has set up a structure that will support a LOT more stories if he wants to keep going (Book 4 due out later this year). There is so much more to learn about Nightingale, Molly, the river gods/goddesses, the interaction of magic and physics, and even Toby. And, of course, I will be watching to see what happens with Lesley now that she is apprenticed to Nightingale and has a huge motive to push the limits of magic.

As another reviewer noted, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith really doesn't do a great American accent (or Canadian either for that matter). However, he does do distinct voices for all characters so that you can easily tell who is talking and I still think he's a perfect voice for the character of Peter.

I am enjoying this series and recommend it. Dresden Files fans are likely to find it familiar fun.

This third book in the Peter Grant series is the best so far. Peter now has a friend and co-worker in the Folly, Constable Lesley May (former victim of magic and now learning to be a practitioner). While their boss Nightingale is searching for the illegally trained and unlicensed wizards in Britain in order to catch the "Faceless Man," Peter and Lesley encounter ghosts, semi-feys, fairies, elves, goblins, River spirits, a rogue FBI agent from the US, and all the regular (ordinary?) characters.

As usual, the story is told with great panache, wit, and humor, providing many laugh-out-loud moments. Author Ben Aaronovitch displays in these books an almost unbelievable breadth of imagination, and delights me when he comes up with a really fresh twist on the existence and coexistence of magical and non-magical elements in current-day London. His inventiveness and humor sometimes call to mind the very different, but also wildly inventive, humor of Jasper Fforde in the Thursday Next novels.

I am already impatient for the next installment of Peter Grant's adventures. Long may he live to have many, many more.

I wasn't sure what to do with the first book (somewhat misdirected expectations, a la other reader's reviews). The second book came via a sale...so I read it. Wow. Not mind boggling, just very nice. I KNEW where to put it now (in my mind): An Entertaining Read. By the time I finished book 3, I must admit to a bit of disappointment that book 4 is not out YET. LOL. This series is Very Nice and Quite Enjoyable...like a cup of very good, strong dark coffee (or, I guess "tea" would be more appropriate). Nothing over-the-top, but still QUITE hilarious. AND, nicely subtle. Police procedure is followed, witticisms flow and fantastical details... accumulate in a British sort of way....

The narrator does an excellent job with all of the different character voices. But like an earlier reviewer, his American accent needs some work.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

I've listened to the entire series, and the stories are very good. However, Aaronovitch leaves quite a few plot holes, and sometimes assumes the reader has a set of knowledge about wizardry that doesn't need to be explained. I'd like more detail or explanation in some areas.

Any additional comments?

In all three of these books, the audio editing was sloppy. Several times, a section repeated, or a gap was left while it went straight to the next chapter.

I've listened to the rest of the series, and I rather like them. Which is surprising, because when you look at the covers and you read the descriptions, they seem a little corny and quite possibly stupid. But they're not. The books are no Harry Potter Series (Numerous puns exist in the book though,) and they're not anything like Steig Larsson, but enjoyable none the less. Nothing heavy, but if you're listening while running (as I do,) it'll hook you into extending your workout longer than you planned. My only complaint is that Mr. Holdbrook-Smith, though he's very talented with all the other accents, has an awful time with the American accent. Some advice: We Americans do not have colds, and people with a Midwestern accent don't nearly leave out as many 't's and 'r's as you think. At first, I couldn't figure out what he was doing- until he told me about the nationality of the particular character. But that is the only complaint I have. A good book, well worth the member price.

If you could sum up Whispers Under Ground in three words, what would they be?

This was the first audiobook I bought that I had not already read - I enjoyed it very much. The narrator was perfect! His voice was dead on how I thought Peter should sound and the story was another excellent tale by Ben Aaronovitch. I can't wait for the next one.

What did you like best about this story?

The interplay between Peter and the other Police offers.

Have you listened to any of Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Peter is talking to Leslie and he realizes he read her expression on her face.

The story and characters are progressing at a pace that's easy to follow. I appreciate that he slowly learns things. Unlike a movie or book where they suddenly become an expert. Only thing, narrators American accent needs a LOT of work. It was almost comical! I've heard British people complain about bad accents done by Americans, but this is the first time I've ever seen it go the other way! I enjoyed his other character enough that I can overlook it though. I really like the narrator. I've overlooked some truly horrible English and Irish accents in other books that I love.